Are You Cheating?

Are You Cheating?

The first thought that comes to mind when someone mentions cheating is probably sex. But cheating can be much more complicated than that. When it comes to emotional cheating, or cybersex, insisting to your girlfriend or wife that you “didn’t even have sex” isn’t exactly going to polish your halo. The playing field has opened up, creating some serious gray areas. Is confiding in a woman other than your partner cheating? What about that lap dance you enjoyed last night?

Read on to discover if you are cheating.

Getting a lap dance

You’re out with the boys or at a bachelor party, and a gyrating sex goddess decides to give you a lap dance. It’s a bit of good fun that you enjoyed, and you’d probably do it again in the future if the opportunity presented itself.

Are you cheating? No. There’s nothing intimate about this cheating sign, despite its appearance. It’s along the same lines as a male stripper amusing the girls — just innocent fun. This woman dances for a living, just for entertainment purposes; it’s not like you were at a club and got seduced by a woman who took you aside and engaged in anything sexual. That, alternatively, would be a very different story.

Hiding female friendships

You’re a guy who has female friends who are important to you. However, you don’t necessarily want to talk about your female friends with your girlfriend because she is possessive and might tell you to break off your friendships. By keeping the friendships a secret you can have some bonding time with your female friends and ensure happy dealings with your woman.

Are you cheating? Yes. Sorry to say, but you’re basically sneaking around behind your girlfriend’s back. Although it’s not overtly sexual, the fact is you’re still keeping things secret from her. We don’t want to sound like Dr. Phil, but that’s never healthy, because secrecy can be a form of betrayal. You might want to ask yourself what you think you have to hide if you’re hiding friendships from your girlfriend. Be open about your life — your girlfriend is a part of it, after all — and if she has her own insecurities perhaps your secrecy is really a symptom of a bigger problem in your relationship that needs working on, such as lack of trust.

Getting deep with another woman

No, not that kind of deep — we mean the talking kind. There are some things you find yourself talking about with another woman — maybe it’s your relationship, maybe it’s something about your girlfriend that’s frustrating to you. It’s not that you can’t talk to your girlfriend, but some things you just feel more comfortable talking about with people outside of the relationship. It’s no biggie when you confide in one of the guys, so is chatting to a woman on a deeper level a cheating sign?

Are you cheating? No. Just because you’re talking to another woman, it doesn’t mean that she resembles Eva Longoria or sparks feelings within you. The latter is key here — confiding in another woman is not cheating unless you have real feelings for her that are of a romantic nature. That’s where the emotional infidelity comes in. In such a case, then talking can surely lead to other things.

Not specifying Facebook relationship status

Although you’re taken and spoken for, you have not updated your relationship status on Facebook. It still declares to any willing eyes that wish to rove over your profile that you’re a single man. Are you cheating? No. Who says you have to let your entire extended network in on your private affairs? A lot of people don’t like to mention too many details about their lives online, and it’s understandable, especially if you have professional contacts or nosy relatives on your friends list. This isn't a cheating sign; this is simply maintaining a bit of personal discretion.

Dancing closely with another woman

An awesome beat comes on and you find yourself with another woman on the dance floor at a club. You have a good time, but can feel your girlfriend’s jealous eyes on you.

Are you cheating? No. It’s just a dance, for crying out loud. OK, so maybe it involved some gyrating and closeness, but it’s not like you were stripped down to your underwear. There’s no reason why your girlfriend should get angry over this.

Read on for more of our breakdown of whether you're guilty of cheating or not...